Improved apparatus for bleaching



j. MEYER.

Bleaching Apparatus1 Patented May 17, 1864,

N. PETERS. PhulLiihognphcr. Wnhingmn. DA C,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JEREMIAH MEYER, `OF BAY RIDGE, NEW YORK.

IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR BLEACHING.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 42,782, dated May 17, 1864; antedated May 6, 1864.

To all 'whom it may concern Be it known that I, JEREMIAH MEYER, of Bay Ridge,in the county of Queens and' State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Apparatus for Bleaching; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,

clear, and exact description'of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- 'Figure 1 represents a longitudinal vertical section of my invention, taken in the plane indicated by the line a: ze, Fig. 2. Fig 2 is a plan or top view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detached perspective bottom View of a portion of the bleaching-vat.

Similiar letters of reference in the three views indicate corresponding parts.

The object of this invention is to pass th fabric to be bleached through a series of vats containing the various liquors used in bleaching, and to keep said fabric in each vat sufciently long to enable the liquid to produce the desired effect without interrupting or stopping the motion of the fabrics through the apparatus. In order to obtain this object each vat is divided in two or more chambers or compartments, and the fabric is caused to arrange itself in each compartment in a serpertine pile of more or less layers according to thetime it is desired to retain the fabric in each compartment or vat, and, as the fabric passes through the apparatus, the lowest layers of each pile are drawn out from the bottom, while at the same time fresh layers are formed on the top, and the motion of the fabric can thus be continued withoutinterruption, and still each portion of the cloth remains in each vat long enough to enable the various bleaching-liquors to produce the desired effect.

The construction of my apparatus and the various improvements embodied in the same will be best understood from the following description.

A represents a vat, made of wood or any other suitable material. This vat is provided with a perforated or slatted false bottom, a, and with slatted or double walls b, and its inteiior is divided in two or more compartments, B C B Cf, through which the fabric passes during the operation of bleaching.

Slatted polygonal rollers D D' and small rollers E E', near the false bottom a of the vat, conduct the fabric from the compartments B B to the chambers or compartments C G', as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The rollers D D/ are connected by an` elastic belt, F, which passes over two rollers G G at or near the opposite ends of the vat and over the rollers D D and under a roller, H, which has its bearings in boxes c, that are adjustable by set-screws d, so that the belt F can be lightened whenever it is necessary. A perforated pipe, e, between the two bottoms of the vat, serves to introduce steam whenever it is deemed necessary.

The fabric to be bleached is passed over the surface of the roller D between its surface and the belt F and down into the compartment B,

` thence under the roller E and up through the chamber C, and thence over the roller D', between its surface and the belt F, down into the compartment B, under the roller E', and up through the chamber C.

The chambers C C are provided with apertures g g* g gi, one at the bottom and one at the top in each chamber, and between the aperture g and roller D the fabric passes through between the arms hofa slide, I, which moves in suitable guides on the top edge of the vat. By pushing this slide in the direction of the arrow marked on it in Fig. 2 the fabric is clamped between the edge of one of the arms It and the aperture g and its onward motion is arrested. B y this arrangement the fabric is caused to place itself in a serpentine pile in the compartment B in the following manner: The roller G receives acontinuous rotary motion by a belt, J, Fig. 2, and thereby the belt F and the rollers D H D G are caused to move without interruption. By the action of the belt F on the fabric passing through between it and the roller D said fabric is continually fed into-the compartment B, and if the motion ofthe same from the chamber C is arrested by the action of the slide I it accumulates in said compartment, and by the aid of the slatted roller D it arranges itself in a regular serpentine pile, the number of layers of which can beincreased or decreased at pleasure simply by arresting the motion of the fabric from the chamber C for a longer or shorter time. The chamber Bl is filled in the same manner by retaining the end ot' the fabric until the required number of layers are deposited in said compartment, and when this object has been accomplished the end of the fabric is passed through the squeezingrollers K and down to the washin g apparatus L.

This apparatus consist of a series of rollers, t' t t" tit, and feed-rollersj jitjjl. From the squeezing-rollers K the f'abric passes down under the roller t', up and through between the feed-rollersjjt, down under the roller t', up over the roller iit, down under the roller t, and up and through between the feed-rollersj jt, and thence to the next Vat or to the drying-room.

'lhe rollers t' t" yWare intended to be situated in a trough, so that the fabric passing round them can be exposed to a stream of running Water and a pipe, f, situated between the feedaollers j j* J Jit, and provided With spouts kit, throws jets of Water on the fabric as the same passes from or to said rollers. By these means the fabrieis thoroughly freed from all the bleaching-liquor which may adhere tothe same as it passes from the vat A, so that it can be passed into the next vat or into the drying-room Without delay.

This apparatus is particularlyintended to carry out a process for'bleaching textile fabrlcs, on which a patent was granted to Theodore Schnebely, September l5, 1863, which consists, essentially, in the application of five different liquors to the fabric in successive order. In Athis case, therefore, five different rats will be required, each arranged substantially as above described, and an apparatus io: Washing will be attached to the first, third, and fifth vat. The fabric is passed through tha several Vats in a continuous sheet, and the serpentine piles in each vat or compartment are so arranged that the fabric is exposed to the action of each liquor the required length of time. It is not necessary, therefore, to `interrupt the motion of any part of the apparatus,and the fabric which passes in at one end unbleached is discharged at the other end perfectly bleached and ready for the market or for further operations. 1f desired, two or more sheets of the fabric may be run through the apparatus simultaneously, and the apparatus may also be used for any other bleachn g process, hot or cold.

What l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The endless elastic belt F and rollers G G H D D', in combination with the compartments B C B C of the vat A, constructed and operating in the manner and for the purpose substantially as shown and described.

2. Arran ging the fabric in the compartments B B in serpentine piles, substantially as set forth, so that said fabric is exposed to the different liquors a sufficient length of time without interrupting the continuous motion of the apparatus.

3. The application of the sli e I with arms lt, in combination with the apertures g, leading from the chambers C to the rolle 1)', substantially in the manner and for the purpose specified,

4. The combination, with the vat A of a Washing apparatus, L, constructed and operating substantially as and for the purpose shown and described.

5. The pipe k with jets kt, in combination with the rollersjj* jjt, as and for the purpose set forth.

JEREMIAH MEYER.

Witnesses:

D. ROBERTSON, M. M. LIVINGSTON. 

